


Purple

by Intomyfireyoushallfall (scorpiontales)



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Comics), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Gen, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-23 15:23:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3773266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scorpiontales/pseuds/Intomyfireyoushallfall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post 44 spoilers. Remember how the boys wore Red when looking for Raph? Playing on that theme.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Purple

            They all knew that they were going to wear purple.

            There was no discussion. It went without saying. With Raph was missing, _missing_ for those months upon months, the red they all wore seemed right, almost mandatory. Splinter didn’t even have to explain it. Even without their memories, they already knew the reason why. Until their brother came back to them, they would carry his spirit in the color in their masks, the stride of their steps, the focus of their mission. Anything to send an extra message to a lost man.

_We miss you. Come back to us._

            Don is not missing. They know where he lies, body kept together with thread and torn sheets. His body is forever present in the sick room of their home, breath weak, pulse thready. But his spirit is gone, cast out to the deep, and unlike Raph, they know the chances of calling him back are slim.

            So they wear the masks. The exact shade of fabric is hard to find, and they almost call April to pick some up for them. But they find it eventually, in the dumpster behind a crafting store, and while it has a different texture it gets the point across.

            Splinter warned them about taking revenge. He knew what it is like to thirst for it. He asked them to avoid such measures, to leave the men responsible be until Don woke up (the **if** is an unspoken constant). And, upon seeing their father plead for the first time in a long time, they plan on honoring his wish.

            But they won’t let this slide. Let Bebop and Rocksteady think they’re safe, that they can live on with their brother’s blood soaking the soles of their shoes. So they throw their old masks to the side, covering their eyes with dark purple. Take to the streets.

            The Foot loses members at a rapid rate. Few patrols teams come back fully conscious. They don’t need to. The Turtle’s message is obvious enough from the purple paint that stains all of their uniforms.

            _You will pay for this in blood._

When not patrolling, they wait by Don’s bedside, outside his door, in the den. Tinker with his electronics, place parts of his broken computer in a box for him to fix later. They place their masks in Donnie’s room, tie them around the post of his IV line. They’ll stay there until he wakes. Until Donnie opens his eyes to see his brothers clad in his own colors standing above him, ready to protect him from a threat they weren’t there for, projecting their own silent message that they need Don to hear.

            _We’ve missed you. Thanks for coming back. Never again._

Until then, purple is the color of the Hamatos. And that it will stay.


End file.
